By Jeanette, Poverty Activist team February 2023 Hello, I'm Jeanette...I'm a member of the 12 month team. I arrived to CICD in August 2022 and started my journey here with the Gaia programme. Now I'm a Development Instructor (DI) and according to the plan I will go to Zambia in the middle of July...which I am getting very excited about. This Monday my team passed our People's Exam successfully. That was our second exam since we have started our DI period. It was a big milestone for me because now there is only one closing exam separating us from our...

By Adrian Alvarez Valenzuela, Poverty Activist team August 2022 Adding your grain of sand for a better world Of course, this has to be necessarily the primary reason not to give up on volunteering. When we think about dedicating our time to volunteering, we all do it with the same goal and for the same reason: we firmly believe that a better world is possible, and we want to actively contribute to that change by adding our small grain of sand. And indeed, you will leave that mark and contribute that grain of sand with your collaboration. Depending on the...

By Brita Jensen When Tvindkraft was built, it trailblazed the wind industry, This story is about my work at Tvindkraft, the world’s first megawatt modern wind turbine. In 1999 I had been both a team teacher and a subject teacher at DNS (The International Teachers Training College also located in Tvind). Through that work I had become increasingly conscious about the deterioration of the environment, both through our DNS study tours and studies. I wanted to work full time for improving the environment. A position at Tvindkraft became vacant and this was my chance. I didn’t know anything about a...

Hello again. It is Mel writing to share with you this year’s personal celebration – 10 years at CICD. 10 years ago I was enrolling as a student at CICD. I sent my enrolment papers, had video calls and was accepted into the Gaia programme and the Fighting with the Poor programme (that was an 18 month programme). 10 years ago my dream of becoming a volunteer was taking shape. I started making my plans, finished that university year and by October 2013 I made my way to Winestead Hall. My time as a Development Instructor I spoke no English,...

By Melanie Pita, Team teacher  Hi, I am Mel and I am a teacher at CICD. Today I will be telling you about some of the studies of the second period of the 12 month programme and the students’ response to this. The Forces that Run the World In the beginning of February we have started the Poverty Activist 12 month programme. We are now about to finish our second period of The Forces that Run the World that has lasted for the past 4 weeks. During this last 4 weeks we have studied and investigated Forces that Run the...

By Silvia Rivas, Poverty Activist team February 2023 The process of the programme for a Poverty Activist is the tool that leads you to take action. Action, through knowledge and practice with a perspective of the TOPICS that move the world. When you receive and study informattion, you need to consider: - Do I have the information I need to align my arguments with me? - Could I contrast this information from another point of view? - What is my conclusion? Topics that we tend to talk about in our daily lives (such as money, politics or simply the situations...

By Carla Barrado, Spain My story is worthy of being in a printed book, given the circumstances that encompass it. Each person is unique, and each person has their way of experiencing adventures and opportunities; however, the important thing is not to compare and not to think that it is better or worse, but that what will truly lead you to live the experience is simply living it. I joined the Gaia group in 2019 with the idea of starting the following August in the Poverty Activist team. My time in Gaia was very intense and I learned a lot...

By Adrian Alvarez Valenzuela, Poverty Activist team 2022 My arrival in Zambia was through the Endola International Airport. From the moment I landed, I was struck by the natural beauty of the country. The view of the mountains and the green plains on the horizon was impressive, and the warm breeze blowing made me feel truly comforted. After a long journey, I finally arrived in Mkushi, a small town in the center of Zambia. The people here are extremely welcoming and friendly, and they received me with open arms. I could quickly see that the Mkushi community takes pride in...

By Estefani Gareca, Poverty Activist Team February 2023 A People´s Exam is the last step in the end of each period of our studies. Specifically, for the 12 month Poverty Activist programme with 5 month study & training period, we have 6 different periods with different themes. All of them have very solid topics related to the history and development of the countries in different parts of the worls, offering us an overview of all the problems our world suffers. We have just concluded our first period called “The Forces that run the World”. During this period, we studied the...

Hello again and warm greetings from Zambia! We have been in Zambia for 2 months! I can't believe that these two months have passed so quickly. We still clearly remember the day we arrived. It's unbelievable... sometimes time goes by so fast that we think the time spent here won't be enough to accomplish everything we want in the project together with DAPP Zambia. About DAPP Zambia DAPP (Development Aid from People to People) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1990. DAPP implements development projects in cooperation with the local population. The organisation currently has 40 different large-scale projects running...

By Onerio Neto, Development Instructor programme 2006 In 2006, I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteering program at the College for International Cooperation and Development (CICD) in Hull, England. This was my first trip outside of Brazil and I can say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The program helped me grow as an individual and gave me a unique perspective on the world. I remember fondly the 10 months I spent at the CICD, where hard work was always necessary. Overcoming barriers was a daily challenge, and I had the opportunity to work...

Why did we decide to become Poverty Activists at CICD? Read our stories here - and send a message to us to schedule a video call if you want to hear more :-)    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. " Hello, I would like to share my experience at CICD. My name is Ana, for some time I did research about volunteering. What I was looking for was to be part of a structure that would allow me to learn more and use that knowledge in practice. Then I found CICD. I was offered the opportunity to do the Gaia Programme. The Gaia programme...

By David Hegedus, Poverty Activist team August 2022 Hi, hi! Here is David! First of all, I want to let you know that we arrived safely in Zambia. Secondly, I could write a lot of things right now, but we are very busy every day because of our project and because of this I don't really have too much time. So, for now, I just want to tell you the most important things from the last two weeks. First impressions of Ndola, Zambia After our plane landed successfully and we left the Ndola airport with our large team of 8...

By Kitti Szabo, Poverty Activist team August 2022 Dear Reader! At CICD, we started our training programme on August 1 this year, and at the beginning of November, our development training team was expanded by 5 wonderful people who completed the training period earlier, so I am happy that we are now working together. The programme includes a lot of theoretical and practical training. Broadly touching on other types of schools, projects, agriculture, vital problems of the world, theories, cultures and the target country of our project: Zambia. We have behind us a fast-paced but at the same time enjoyable...

14th of January Adrian and his team will be departing from London with destination Zambia - the start of 6 months in a very different reality. By Adrian Alvarez Valenzuela, Poverty Activist team August 2022 Africa is a continent that we constantly hear about in the media. However, the communications that reach us are far from flattering and, in fact, often appear related to concepts such as misery, poverty or unsafety. But on the other hand, it is common to be curious about this continent, perhaps the most unknown. Yes, I always call attention to Africa. It is normal to...

Once upon a time in February 2020, two Development Instructors called Carla and Agustina went to Zambia for their project period. But their stay in Zambia became very short, only two weeks. Because of political and social problems, Humana People to People decided they needed to relocate to a project in Botswana. Their time in Botswana was also cut short, this time because of Covid19.... But as you can see below they experienced a lot and also made themselves useful!  Hope you enjoy their story full of life and experiences. By Carla Barrado and Agustina Bastías Solis, Poverty Activist team...

Leave the door open. Leave the door open to radiant hope! Give the key to the poor man! Whose key to hope is the only way When the weight of life is a bottomless well. How did the human get here? This is the deceptive system of greed. The number of weapons keeps increasing, And the cruel king's dream comes true. But what is the price of this? Maybe it's the captivity of the roaring difference... Starving children are forced to the streets... Or a lot of garbage in the ocean. hmm.. A song is written on the table of...

By Monzer Al Moussa, Poverty Activist team August 2022 Hello again, We, the 12 month Poverty Activist team, would like to tell you a little about the great activists that we met during our latest investigation. This investigation was about the reality of the poverty in the UK and the people that are working together to help those facing poverty to better their lives. Maybe it will be easier to present some numbers of the reality of the poverty in UK to help understand the dire need and the fantastic job those activists that we visited are doing: A few...

By Mafalda Silva, Poverty Activist team August 2022 In 2022, after a RESET ECLIPSE, the History of Planet EARTH is rewritten, but this time, with some SPECIAL POWERS… In a neighborhood far away in the Universe, There is a young Woman Planet. Her name is Ms. Earth Perfect, Perfect for Her Planet friends. With Green Eyes and Blue Hair, She is full of Life and Energy. There are Humans and Animals, in all different shapes, sizes and colours. She also has many different accessories – covered in nutrients and colours. She is a beautiful young Woman, full of Life, full...

I am Viktória Borbély, a participant in the Gaia scholarship programme from August 2022. At first I didn't think I would apply because I thought it would be a huge change. But I finally made up my mind and went for it. But at the moment, even after being here for several months, I consider it a very good decision, with plenty of opportunities for development, it constantly gives new impulses and impressions. Being here makes you develop, with the aim that everyone wants to give something to the world, this results in the creation of a wonderful harmony, and...